Pros
Cons
Quick answer
HelioScope is not free, but it has a 14-day trial. Basic is $159 USD per license per month and Pro is $259 USD per license per month, with Enterprise priced per project. Each Basic or Pro license includes 1 user and 10 projects a month, and design size is capped by plan. Prices per the vendor pricing page, checked October 2026.
Comparing HelioScope with SurgePV?
HelioScope caps projects and design size by plan. Book a guided demo to see how SurgePV prices per user per year with unlimited projects listed.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
SurgePV publishes this page and is a vendor in this category. SurgePV competes with HelioScope and is compared in the table below. The facts here come from HelioScope’s public pages and SurgePV’s pricing, checked October 2026. Last checked: October 2026.
What does HelioScope do?
HelioScope is design and simulation software for commercial solar and storage projects. The vendor calls it “commercial solar-plus-storage design and sales software” and lists itself as “an Aurora Inc. Company”. The lists below come from the vendor’s own pages, read in October 2026. The links go to the page used.
Design
The design page names three key features: a CAD-style interface, automatic layout and shading analysis. The pricing page lists these on every plan:
- Site modeling and design, with several designs per project.
- Rooftop, carport, ground-mount and battery layout on all projects.
- CAD export and single-line diagrams (SLDs, simple drawings of how the system is wired). The help article on CAD export says HelioScope exports a .DXF file (a CAD drawing) and a single-line diagram.
- A 50,000 component module and inverter library.
Simulation
The simulation page says the vendor’s production estimates are “validated to be within 1% of PVsyst by third parties”. PVsyst is a widely used energy modeling program. The home page says accuracy is “validated by DNV, NREL, and CEC”. The simulation page links to third-party reports. We did not open those reports, so treat the figure as the vendor’s claim.
The pricing page lists these on every plan: production estimates within 1% of PVsyst, an 8760 production report (energy numbers for each of the 8,760 hours in a year), global weather coverage and shade reports. The simulation page says HelioScope includes 8 weather data sources and lets you upload your own. The production report help article says the report includes a bill of materials with module, wire and inverter quantities.
Sales and money
The sales page names a Utility Rate Editor, financial profiles and customizable proposals. The pricing page lists the Utility Rate Editor, financial analysis tools and customizable reports and sales proposals under Pro and Enterprise.
Storage
The pricing page lists battery layout on all projects. It lists storage modeling under Pro and Enterprise. The storage help article says you can add a battery on all plans. Basic users enter energy capacity, power rating, maximum charge power and count. Pro and Enterprise users also enter minimum and maximum state of charge and round-trip efficiency. The article says support currently covers AC-coupled systems.
What does each HelioScope plan list?
| Feature | Basic | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop, carport, ground-mount and battery layout | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| CAD export and single-line diagrams | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| 8760 report, shade reports, global weather | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| LIDAR-assisted modeling, AI obstruction detection, Independent Tilt, parcel boundaries | Not listed | Listed | Listed |
| Storage modeling | Not listed | Listed | Listed |
| P90, P95 and P99 values | Not listed | Listed | Listed |
| Utility Rate Editor, financial analysis, sales proposals | Not listed | Listed | Listed |
| Single-axis trackers | Not listed | Not listed | Listed |
| Export to PVsyst | Not listed | Not listed | Listed |
| Direct API access and SSO | Not listed | Not listed | Listed |
| Design size (DC) | Up to 1.25 MW | Up to 5 MW | Up to 30 MW |
Source: the vendor’s pricing page, compare plans table, checked October 2026. “Not listed” means the vendor’s table shows no mark for that plan.
How much does HelioScope cost?
HelioScope Basic is $159 per license per month and Pro is $259 per license per month, both in US dollars. The vendor’s pricing page shows these prices, checked October 2026:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | What a license includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $159 USD per license per month | $1,620 USD per license per year (“a 15% discount!”) | 1 user; 10 projects per month, or 120 projects per year on the yearly plan |
| Pro | $259 USD per license per month | $2,640 USD per license per year (“a 15% discount!”) | 1 user; 10 projects per month, or 120 projects per year on the yearly plan |
| Enterprise | Custom per-project pricing | Custom per-project pricing | Unlimited users; custom projects |
The vendor’s help article on pricing plans adds these rules:
- Unused projects do not roll over to the next period.
- Project balances from several licenses add up. Three monthly Basic licenses give 30 projects a month.
- Basic and Pro teams can have at most 5 licenses. For more than that, the article says Enterprise may be a good fit.
- A project over the size limit still counts toward the project limit. The article says a team with about one such project a month, or up to twelve a year, does not have to upgrade.
- HelioScope Pro$2,640
- SurgePV (1 user)$1,899
- HelioScope Basic$1,620
Source: HelioScope pricing page and SurgePV pricing page, checked October 2026.
The plans list different things, so this is a price comparison, not a feature match.
Does HelioScope have a free trial?
Yes, for 14 days. The free trial article says the standard trial is 14 days. It gives one trial per customer. The trial list includes LIDAR-assisted modeling, financial modeling and sales proposals, P90 values and designs up to 5 MW (DC). You can email the vendor to ask for more days. The nonprofit and academic article says qualified nonprofits and academic users can ask for free Pro access, with limits on users and time.
Running more than 10 projects a month?
SurgePV lists unlimited projects on its pricing page, with fair-use limits set in your quote. Bring your busiest month to a demo.
Book a Free DemoChecking cost first? See the SurgePV pricing page.
Who should choose HelioScope?
HelioScope suits teams that design and sell commercial solar and storage projects, from small systems up to 30 MW (DC) on Enterprise.
You may want to look at other options, or a higher plan, if:
- Your projects are larger than your plan allows: 1.25 MW (DC) on Basic or 5 MW (DC) on Pro.
- You run many projects. A license includes 10 projects per month.
- You need single-axis trackers, export to PVsyst or direct API access. The pricing page lists them under Enterprise only.
- You need financial analysis or sales proposals. The pricing page lists them under Pro and Enterprise, not Basic.
- You want to see an Enterprise price. It is custom per project.
HelioScope vs SurgePV: price, projects and limits
SurgePV sells competing software. The SurgePV facts below come from its product scope and its pricing page.
| HelioScope | SurgePV | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Commercial solar-plus-storage design, simulation and sales | 3D roof modeling, solar array layout, shading analysis, energy-yield modeling, financial modeling, electrical workflow support, bill-of-materials output and proposal generation |
| Price | Basic $1,620 and Pro $2,640 USD per license per year (1 user each) | USD, per user per year: 1,899 (1 user), 1,499 (3 seats), 1,299 (5 seats) |
| Projects | 10 per month per Basic or Pro license | The pricing page lists “Unlimited projects”; confirm fair-use limits with sales |
| How you try it | 14-day free trial | Guided demo; no self-serve trial |
| Stated limits | Design size capped by plan | Results depend on source data and assumptions. Outputs do not replace approval by the responsible engineer, authority, lender, insurer or utility |
The plans list different things, so this is not a like-for-like price check.
Bottom line
Choose HelioScope if you design commercial solar and storage projects, stay inside the plan’s size and project caps, and want a 14-day trial before paying. Choose SurgePV if you want per-user pricing without a monthly project cap. Book a Free Demo or read the SurgePV pricing page.
Other Options
- Aurora Solar vs HelioScope: the two Aurora Inc. products side by side.
- HelioScope alternatives: other tools people consider.
- HelioScope vs PVcase: two design tools side by side.
- HelioScope vs SurgePV: the direct comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How much does HelioScope cost?
HelioScope Basic costs $159 USD per license per month, or $1,620 USD per license per year. Pro costs $259 USD per license per month, or $2,640 USD per license per year. Enterprise has custom per-project pricing, so you talk to sales. Each Basic or Pro license includes 1 user (checked October 2026).
Is HelioScope free?
No, HelioScope is a paid product with a 14-day free trial. The pricing page lists Basic, Pro and Enterprise plans with a free trial button. The help center says the standard free trial is 14 days, with one trial per customer. It also says qualified nonprofits and academic users can ask for free Pro access, with limits on users and time.
What are HelioScope’s project and size limits?
Each Basic or Pro license includes 1 user and 10 projects per month, or 120 projects on the annual plan. Unused projects do not roll over. Design size is capped at 1.25 MW (DC) on Basic, 5 MW (DC) on Pro and 30 MW (DC) on Enterprise. The help center says Basic and Pro teams can have at most 5 licenses.
What does the HelioScope Pro plan add?
The pricing page lists these Pro extras: LIDAR-assisted modeling, storage modeling, AI-based obstruction detection, Independent Tilt, parcel boundaries, financial modeling and sales proposals, and P90, P95 and P99 values. Pro designs can go up to 5 MW (DC).
Does HelioScope model batteries?
The pricing page lists battery layout on all projects and plans. The help center says storage can be added on all plans, and that Pro and Enterprise add inputs for storage simulations. It also says support currently covers AC-coupled systems.
What are the alternatives to HelioScope?
SurgePV is one alternative, and it competes with HelioScope. The site also lists other tools in a HelioScope alternatives list, linked under Other Options. Alternatives differ on pricing basis, project limits and design scope, so compare them on your own project mix.
Is HelioScope cheaper than SurgePV?
HelioScope Basic is cheaper per user per year ($1,620 against SurgePV’s $1,899 for one user), but Pro is higher at $2,640. The plans cap projects and design size differently. Sources: the HelioScope and SurgePV pricing pages, checked October 2026.
Sources
All pages were read in October 2026.
- HelioScope pricing page
- Home page, product page, design page, simulation page and sales page
- Help center: Free Trial
- Help center: Changes to HelioScope’s Terms of Use and Pricing Plans
- Help center: Academic/Nonprofit Use of HelioScope
- Help center: Energy Storage
- Help center: Export CAD Files and Production Report Summary
- SurgePV pricing
About the Contributors
Editorial contributor · SurgePV
Rainer Neumann is credited as an editorial contributor on SurgePV content. This profile does not assert engineering credentials, project totals, software-testing experience, education, speaking engagements, or media citations because independent verification evidence is not retained in the publication record.
CEO & Co-Founder · SurgePV
Keyur Rakholiya is identified by SurgePV as its CEO and a company co-founder. His SurgePV author page lists only role information that can be tied to the public profile below; credentials, project totals, testing claims, media appearances, and speaking engagements are not asserted without retained evidence.
